July 4 2012

In an Australian first, Austrak has piloted a Quarantine Management Plan with DAFF Biosecurity to meet quarantine requirements for its sleeper shipments to Port Hedland.

The QMP will reduce risks associated with the shipping by ensuring all quarantine requirements, shipping requirements and government requirements are met.

According to John McNally, National Consulting Manager with obm, the pilot is the first one of its kind.

“Given that Austrak is producing sleepers in Dubai, there are significant risks with getting those sleepers from production in the Middle East to Australia,” Mr McNally said.

“By putting in place our QMP, Austrak is ameliorating those risks. Usually, from a quarantine point of view, any exotic pest or species are dealt with when they arrive in Australia. This plan ensures the pest never leaves Dubai.

“Quarantine and shipping risks are managed at each stage of production and transport which provides a system of checks and balances safeguarding the whole process.”

Leader of Austrak’s Dubai operations, Larry Hadley, said that the QMP was an important precaution to protect Australia’s native species.

“There could be a potential threat to Australia if any of the local flora and fauna from Dubai were inadvertently imported,” said Mr Hadley.

“In many ways the sandy soils of Dubai are similar to that of the Pilbara, so by putting the QMP in place we are reducing the risks at each stage of manufacturing and shipping,” he said. “It’s another important part of our commitment to quality and certainty of delivery, giving our clients extra safeguards against potential risk.”